Mobile Development: 8 Best Practices

Want to develop mobile applications but don’t know how to get started? You’re in the right place!

This article will give you an overview of mobile development along with 8 best practices. These are secret tips that experienced app developers have been applying.

Ready? Let’s dive in with Designveloper!

Overview of Mobile Development

Before you take the first step to designing an app, there are important things you should know. Here they are:

What is mobile development?

Mobile development refers to activities of developing a mobile application for devices that run mobile operating systems like iOS, Android, and Windows Phone. These devices can be smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and all other types of wearable devices.

Learning how to develop mobile apps is an exciting journey. It’s because you’ll have an opportunity to create real, usable end-to-end mobile apps on your own or with your team. Since the use of smart devices is becoming more popular, it’s never too late to build an app. Now you can start mobile app development anywhere and at any time you want.

The following mobile use statistics that can motivate you to get started:

• Over 2.71 billion smartphone users and 1.28 billion tablet users across the world.
• By 2020, mobile apps are expected to generate $188.9 billion in revenue.
• There are 2.2 million apps available in the Apple App Store and 2.8 million apps on the Google Play Store.
• 21% of millennials open any app more than 50 times per day.
• 49% of people open any app more than 11 times per day.
• Mobile apps account for 57% of all digital media usage.
• On average, a smartphone owner uses 30 apps each month.

What languages are used for mobile development?

If you’re new to mobile development, you may find it challenging to choose the right programming language. Don’t worry! The below list of common languages in 2020 will help you out.

• Ruby
• ASP.NET
• AJAX
• Objective-C
• Python
• Perl
• C
• C#
• C++
• HTML
• Java
• SQL
• PHP
• Swift
• TypeScript

To know more about these programming languages, read 15 Programming Languages Every Programmer Should Learn.

How much does mobile app development cost?

There is no single answer to the question: “how much does building a mobile app cost you?”. The price to do that depends on many aspects, as shown below:

• Types of apps. Is it a mobile game or a social networking app?
• Platforms. Which platform will your app be available on?
• Design. Is it just a basic design or a customized one?
• The number of pages. How many pages does the app need?
• Features and infrastructure. The more complex features, the more money you need to invest in the development process.

Let’s say there are three categories for mobile apps: simple, moderate, and complex. Here are the costs to make an app.

Note that you should use the table above as a reference to predict the potential costs of making a mobile app. Every app is different, and every specification you want your app to have will add up to the price.

8 best mobile development practices

Now you’ve known what mobile development is. Let’s take a look at the best practices to do that.

1. Break down tasks into small and manageable chunks

The mobile development process includes a lot of tasks. To ensure you don’t miss any one of them, you should set everything in place early on. For example, break down the tasks into smaller and manageable ones, then set the requirements for each of them.

In doing so, you can easily control the workflow and know which stage should be allocated more time to complete. This practice is beneficial if you work with your team members.

2. Do right from the beginning

A mobile app can include many features. To get started, you should list all the features that are the most important for the functionality of your app. Then, other elements can be built around these core features. This is the first thing that you need to do right to create the best app.

For every task you do, you should do it properly. This will help you reduce the chance of making bugs and errors during the development process. At the same time, you can ensure all the features are well-connected with each other. Don’t rush to move to the next step; instead, try to complete each stage as best as you can.

3. Focus on the user experience

Your potential users will be the ones who use your app. They will experience your app, and if they feel satisfied with it, they’ll give you positive reviews on the app store and other social places. That’s why you need to always keep user experience in mind.

When it comes to user experience, it all comes down to these factors: convenience, speed, and experience. Ensure you invest enough resources in them from the very beginning stages.

4. Follow the app store development guidelines

If you want to make an Android app, you need to follow the Android Developer Guides to develop your app correctly. Similarly, if you start to make an iOS app, follow the Apple Developer Program guideline.

Besides, you need to understand regulations and best practices for the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. If you don’t comply with those rules, your app could be rejected when you distribute your app to the app store. So, don’t risk your opportunity.

5. Test, test, and test

Never wait until you complete your app to test the performance. Testing should be on your mind all the time throughout the whole mobile development process. If you don’t test your app periodically, it’ll probably be much harder and more complex to identify and fix bugs later. Moreover, regular tests also help you minimize the final costs.

One of the best ways to test your app is with beta testers. You can work with online platforms like Beta Family to find app testers. They’ll give you feedback and maybe some recommendations to enhance your app.

6. Keep the design in mind

Developers and designers think differently. While developers tend to be more technical, designers are always more creative. However, that doesn’t mean you should ignore the design aspect when developing mobile apps.

Understanding design components will help you code your app accordingly and ensure the final product will fulfill your clients’ requirements. This also ensures you, as a developer, and your designers can work together effectively.

7. Plan for updates

The mobile development process doesn’t end even after you launch your app. You need to work on improvement and regular maintenance so your app will work well all the time. This is also what your users expect.

It should be noted that the cost of maintenance isn’t cheap. That’s why planning for updates and maintenance is useful to control your cost. All the features in your app should be easy and accessible to change and update.

8. Pay attention to security

No matter what type of app, it can contain a lot of sensitive data. It can be the personal information of your users like name, email, birthday, payments, etc.

You need to take charge of protecting this sort of information and prioritize security from the very start. Your users are increasingly concerned about cyber-attacks and data breaches. So, if you don’t have any plans to prevent your app from those events, your users may leave you.

Final words

Congrats! You discover all of the best practices to start mobile development. It’s time to use them to build your apps.

Remember that developing a mobile app doesn’t happen overnight. You may need to take a lot of time and effort to complete it. Still, it will be a joyful and meaningful journey for you, which kicks off your developer career.

In case you need any help, don’t forget to contact our team. We’re always ready to help you.